Control system



D. MURGCK:

CONTROL SYST MK APPLICATION man wam/23,1919.

X G N d D im a t WITNESSES:

, Patented Nov. .28, 1922.

vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. MURDOCK, F WILKINSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WFSTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYL- VANIA.

CONTROL SYSTEM.

Application led lay 23, 1919. Serial No. 299,161.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRYD. MURDOCK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of l/Vilkinsbur in the county of Allegheny and State of ennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control Systems, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention relates to control systems and 1t has particular relation to systems for effecting the acceleration and the deceleration of dynamo-electric machines.

Such machines are commonly controlled by means of resistorsk which are. automatically governed to prevent subjecting the machines to excessive currents.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved control system of the character indicated above. f

My inventionlinds special a plication to systems comprising a motor an a generator, the armatures of which are connected in a closed circuit. The speed and the direction of rotation of the motor are controlled by varying the voltage of the generatorin value and in direction. The voltage of the generator is controlled by varying its field excitation by means of an exciter which is in circuit with the field-magnet windings.

In such systems, it is desirable that the motors shall be accelerated at a maximum rate in order to preventthe waste of much reduce the current traversing the armatures of the two machines to a safe value. During deceleration, if an excessive amount of resistance is reinserted into the generator fieldwinding circuit, the motor may act as a generator to cause. an excessive rush of cur` rent. This danger is customarily avoided b utilizin a second relay to temporarily eect the s ort-circuiting of an additional portion of the resistor. Such operation is.

cuit additional portions of the resistor, but

to o rate a magnetic brake which may stop furt er actuation of the controller. The brake acts immediately upon the current reaching van excessive value, so that the current isnot ermitted to increase. The brake becomes relisased when the current falls to a safe value. I

My invention will'be made clear in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is a diagrammatic view of circuits and apparatus embodying my invention.

The windings of armatures 1 and 2 of a generator G and a motor M are connected in series. The generator G has a field-magnet winding 3 and the motor M a field-magnet winding 4 that are se arately excited by current from an exciter The generator G and the exciter E are customaril vmounted upon the same shaft, which is riven by a large induction motor (not shown), which motor is ada ted to be connected to, and disconnected rom, a source of current. It will be understood, however, that the machines are not necessarily so mounted and that the circuit of the motor and the generator may be opened and closed by means of a switch (not shown) in series with the armatures 1 and 2.

A resistor 5, whlch is in circuit with the field-magnet winding 3, may be governed by means of a manually operable arm 6, a gear 7, a pinlon 8 and a drum controller 9.

Although I have shown the controller arm 6 as pivotally mounted, it will be understood that this is for illustration merely `and that the gear 7 may be a gear sector, as

illustrated, or a slidably mounted gear, or it may be of any other equivalent form. The drum of the control1er9 may directly close short circuits for the resistor 5 or it may do so through the medium 0f contactors 10. It may control also reversing switches, which are diagrammatically inditor.

- other during i cated at 11, for reversing the direction of current flow through the field winding 3 of the generator G.

The actuatin coil 13 of a relay 12 is connected across t ie terminals of a translating device, such as a resistor or a reactor 14C which is in series with the motor and generator. armatures. A second relay 15 is provided with a similar coil 16 and with a second coil 17 which is `connectedv across the terminals of the generatorarmature 1. The coils 16 and 17 are designed to oppose. each normal operation. `The relay 12 is accor nglycontrolled in accordance with the current traversing the main circuit, and the relay 15 in accordance with this current and' the'voltage of the genera- The relays 12 and 15 control the energization of a coil 18 of a magnetic brake 19k that is designed to act .upon "a member 20 which is connected to the "controller arm 6. The brake may be positive in its action,v so as to prevent further movement of the controller arm 6. Preferably, however, it exerts simply a retardingforce,'so as to make it more difficult to move the controller arm 6. The coil18 may be supplied with' current from the exciter E or from any other source.

The relay 15 is provided' with a member 21 which is adapted normally to lock it in its lower position. The lock 21 may be released, in opposition to the force of gravity, by means of a magnetically operable member 22 having an actuating coil 23, which is connected across the armature terminals of the generator G. o

In operation, the generator and, therefore, the motor may be started by connecting the main induction motor to the line, or in any other desired way. A manually operable switch 24 may be closed to connect the field windin s 3 and 4 across the terminals of the exciter The reversing switch 11 may be operated in accordance with theV required direction of operation of the motor Actuation of the controller arm 6 will result in short circuiting successive portions of the resistor 5. v

An increased current will thereupon traverse the field-magnet winding 3. AThe excitation of the generator G will thereupon be increasedto a corresponding degree, and

a correspondingly higher voltage will be supplied to the motor M.

If the controller arm 6 be actuated at such rate that an excessive portion of Ithe resistor 5 is short-circuited and, therefore, an excessive current is supplied to the motor M, the coil 13 of the relay 12, which is of the wellknown fluttering type, will be suiiiciently energized to actuate the relay to its upper position. The circuit of the coil 18 will then be closed through the relay 12, in its upper position, and the relay 15, in its lower position. The brake 19 will thereupon be actuated into engagement with the member 20,

rendering it more diflicult for the operator f sume its normal, ower position, the brake 19 will be released and the operator may then continue the short-circuiting operation without danger of subjecting the armatures l and 2 to excessive currents. The .oscillation of the .relay 12 will continue until the motor M has accelerated to full speed.

By means of this arrangement, the Vcurrent traversing the motor circuit may be maintained at a'substantially constant value throughout the period of acceleration. If desired, however, as in cases of emergency, the operator may, owing to the nature of the brake 19, actuate the controller arm 6 to effect the short-circuiting of the resistor 5 as rapidly as possible.

f When it is desired to decrease the speed of the motor, the controller arm 6 may be actuated in the opposite direction to gradually insert the resistor 5 in series withl the l field-magnet Winding 3. If the value of the voltage of the generator becomes less than that of the counter-electromotive force of the motor, the latter operates as a generator, and the current traverses the closed circuit comprising the armatures 1 and 2 in the reverse direction. If the voltage of the generator has a relatively low value, the current traversing this dynamic-braking circuit may become excessive.

Upon the reversal of the direction of flow of current in this circuit, current traverses the coil 16 in the opposite direction and its force assists that of the coil 17 in raising -\the relay 15. The relay 15, therefore, will be actuated to its upper position at a cur- M. rentvalue much less than that required to effect similar actuation of the relay V12. During deceleration, then, the relay 12 will remain in its lower posit1on so that, upon the actuation of the relay 15, the coil 18 will be energized b thecircuit including the relay 12, in its llower position, and the relay 15, in its upper position. traversing the closed circuit becomes excessive, therefore, the brake 19 will be actuated to warn the operator not to move the controller arm 6 further until the current traversing the closed circuit is reduced. Upon this current falling to a predetermined value, the relay 15, which is also of the fiutterin type, will assume its normal, lower position, whereupon, the-retarding effect of the brake 19 will be removed. The relay 15 thus oscillates during such time as the If the current iisv current traversing the dynamic-braking circuit exceeds a predetermined value, for which the relay 15 is adjusted.

The advantages of a system constructed in accordance withv my invention are that an electric motor ma be accelerated and decelerated within t e shortest possible time, or within the shortest time consistent with safety, as desired. The controller arm 6 is always movable, but the brake 19 exerts a-retarding influence when such movement is undesirable. Provision is thus -made for preventing further short-circuiting or further reinserting into circuit .of the resistor 5 as soon as the current traversin the main circuit exceeds predetermined va ues.

In some insta lations, itis found that the voltage of thecoil l17 l'does not build up rapidly enough to prevent the relay 15 from operating simultaneously with the relay 12, under. some conditions, during acceleration. By means of the locking mechanism 21', w ich is normally maintained in the illustrated, operative, position to maintain the rela7 15 open, this elect is prevented. When, final the voltage of the generator builds upthe coil 23 actuates the mechanism 22 to release the lock 21', the coil 17 then being sufficiently powerful to overcome the force of the coil 16, thereby to maintain the relay 15 in its lower osition.

It will be un erstood that my invention is not restricted to the s ecific embodiment herein illustrated and ascribed, and I desire that the appended claims shall be construed broad] except in so far as limitations may be speci cally imposed therein.

I claim as m invention;

1. The comblnation with a dynamo-electric machine adapted for a plurality of different types of operation and controlling means therefor, of means comprising relayi.

devices for independently retarding vthe operation of said controlling means in accordance 'with the respective types machine4 operation.

'2. The combination with a dynamo-electric machine and controlling means therefor, of means for retarding the operation of said controlling means during the acceleration of said machlne when the current traversing the latter exceeds a predetermined ,value and during the deceleration of said machine only when the current traversin the same exceeds a'second predetermine value.

3. The combination with a dynamo-electric machine and controlling means therefor, of means com rising a pair of relays respectively control ed by current conditions and by current and volta e conditions for retarding the operation o said controlling means.

4. The combination with a dynamoelec.

tric machine and controlling means there-v for, of means for influencing the action of said controllin means, and means governed .in accor ance with the current traversing said machine and the voltage of said machlne for controlling said linfluencing means, and means contro led by' the voltage of said machine for delaying the operation of said governed means.

5. The combination with a pair of dynamo-electric machines adapted for two different characters of operation and having armatures connected in series and means for controllin said machines, of means for retarding t e operation of said controlling means in varying degrees responsive to the respective characters of machine operation.

6. The combination with a motor and a generator having armatures connected in series and a translating device in series with said armatures, said generator having a field-magnet winding and a resistor in circuit therewith, of a controller for short-circuiting said resistor, a brake for said controller, a relay havin an actuating coil in circuit with said trans atin ,device for energizing said brake during t e acceleration of said motor, and a relay having coils respectively in circuit with said device and connected acro said generator armature for energizing said brake during the deceleration of said motor. A

7. The combination with a dynamo-electric machine and controlling means therefor, of means comprising a plurality of in-l dependent relay devices controlled in accordance with materiall diierent electrical quantities of the machine circuit for similarlyv affecting the operation of said controlling means.

8. The combination with a dynamo-elec- 105 tric machine adapted for both acceleration and deceleration and controlling means therefor, of means respectively responsive to the accelerating and the decelerating 'currents for affecting in different degrees the 110 operation of said controlling means.

9. The combination with a dynamo-elecy tric machine adapted for both acceleration and deceleration and. controlling means therefor, of meanscomprising a plurality of 115 relays respectively -res onsive to the ow of current in opposite irections and of materially dierent-values for restraining the operatlon of said controlling means.

for, of means comprising a pair of relays i for restraining the operation of said controlling means, each of said rela s having a coil energized in accordance wit machine 1215A current and one relay being further pro-` vided lwith a coil energized substantially in Y i accordance with the machine voltage.

y1 1. The combination with a dynamo-electric machine and adapted for both accelera-` 1 30 tion and deceleration and controlling means entially to the associated current coil durtherefor, of means-comprising a pair of reing the accelerating periods of said Inalays for restraining the operation of said chlne. 10 controlling means,4 each of said relays hav- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 5 ing a coil energized ink accordance With masubscribed my name this 16th day of May,

chlne current and one relay being further 1919. provided with a Voltage coil acting differl HENRY D. MURDOCK. 

